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“I think it will be a great benefit to the locality to have them there.”

Applicant Hardip Singh told councillors less car journeys would take place by patients if the practice moved.

Currently only 40 per cent of the practice’s patients live within a one mile radius, meaning the majority of journeys there are by car.

Echoing Cllr Hammon he said if the practice can move 90 per cent of patients will live within one mile of the surgery, resulting in fewer car journeys being undertaken.

Cllr John McNicholas (Lab, Lower Stoke) said the concerns of local residents needed to be considered and it was a difficult issue but said there would never be a surgery anywhere if it was up to local residents.

Coun John McNicholas

He said: “What is coming forward to planning committee is of a standard we should welcome.

“We have a substantially improved facility - a requirement and a must for an ageing population.”